Name: Chicken Briyani with Potato Crust (Beriyani-e Morgh)
Prep time: 1 h 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: Serves: 6
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 3 serrano peppers, halved lengthwise or 1 teaspoon red chili flakes; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated; 6 cloves; 3 bay leaves; 2 star anise; 2 cups/400 g peeled tomato puree (about 2 large tomatoes), or canned peeled tomatoes; 3 lb/1.2 kg chicken thighs, on the bone and skin removed; 2-in/5 cm ginger (2 teaspoons), peeled and grated; 2 cups/170 g chopped fresh cilantro; 1 cup/240 g plain yogurt; ½ cup/120 ml oil, butter, or ghee; 1 teaspoon ground saffron threads dissolved in 4 tablespoons rose water; 3 medium onions, peeled and diced; 1 x 4-in/10 cm cinnamon stick; 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ in/1 cm-thick slices; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; ½ cup/120 ml oil or melted butter; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 2 cups/400 g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes, drained, and rinsed; 1 cup/85 g chopped fresh mint

Preparation info

Serves:
6

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
4 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

In Persian, briyan means “roast.” These days we associate briyani with Indian cooking, but it’s actually an ancient Persian cooking technique that was possibly exported to India in Mughal times. Some say, “briyani” comes from the Persian word for rice “brinj.” For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with 2 cups/340g sautéed cashews or almonds, added to the rice with the cilantro and mint.